


Let the Bough Break

by arrowsgirlfriday



Series: Tell the World [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Car Accidents, College, Friendship, Gen, Hospitals, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-08 00:25:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16418915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arrowsgirlfriday/pseuds/arrowsgirlfriday
Summary: What are the odds that the one day Felicity needs to use a car (which was not her own because college is expensive) is the same day that a certain billionaire heir is recklessly driving?Aka: Tommy meets Felicity under less than ideal circumstances.





	Let the Bough Break

_September 1st, 2009_

Truly, when he’d woken up this morning to an urgent voicemail from a guy who somehow agreed to monitor his best friend’s email, telling him that he had news, he wasn’t expecting a car accident. Especially one caused by himself. 

But, he has to admit, it is 100% his fault. He really should’ve waited until he got to his fraternity to try contacting the guy, really. Fuck. The girl in the car he’d run off the road (accidentally, mind you) had seemed fine. Sort of. She’d shown signs of a concussion, dizziness, no response to stimuli on one pupil, and okay, maybe she's not fine. And he’s trying to feel bad, but he’s way too distracted by the fact that his best friend might be alive after all. He’s a horrible person, really.

So it was after calling and then meeting with the tech guy, whom told him the IP address was in Hong Kong, that Tommy remembered he’d almost killed a girl and that he should at least find out if she was alive and going to press charges against him. And if she wasn’t going to, well, at least see that she wasn’t too beat up, maybe offer to cover her hospital and ER expenses. With that resolution in mind, he’d headed off towards the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he’d distractedly asked the ambulance to take her to. He'd already paid her bill, and was glad to see that there had been no broken bones at least. 

He convinced the nurse to tell him where the girl with the glasses was and took a deep breath. Why was he so nervous anyway? Sure, it had been his fault, but how bad could it really be? And, with a bouquet of sunflowers and daisies in hand, he reasoned, if he knocked on her doorway flirted a little with her and maybe offered another apology, he’d be redeemed. 

“So, should I start with 'I’m sorry I ran you off the road with my car'," he tried for charming with his smile, "or with an innocent 'I’ve never met you or had anything to do with you accident, are you okay?'” 

When she didn't answer immediately and just stared at him angrily he forced himself to give her a wink, she was pretty, kinda nerdy and her narrowed eyes made her look incredibly cute. Again, he was a terrible, terrible person. 

She crossed her arms. “If I had the money, I’d maybe sue you. Just because you’re such a douche. Don’t even know your name, mine’s Felicity Smoak, just in case you suddenly grew a care bone.” she muttered. He gave a big dramatic gasp he wasn’t particularly feeling, “I take offense to that, lady! You don’t even know me! I brought you flowers! My name is Tommy Merlyn and I am sorry that this happened because of me.” 

She grumbled under her breath and finally gestured for him to come in. “Fine, you’re right-ish. So, person -Tommy- who definitely did not cause my car to crash into a tree, how are you?”

“I- ” Tommy looked around, uncomfortable with being alone in a room with this cute girl whom he, for all intents and purposes, put in the hospital. “I’ve been better, and you?” he cleared his throat, he’s lost it, he thinks tiredly, he’s lost his charm and now this girl probably thinks he’s the worst kind of jerk in the universe. 

“Oh, I’m just peachy, lying here in the hospital and not being allowed out until the doctor people are sure I don’t have a more severe concussion.” She tilted her head to the side and after seemingly struggling for a few seconds with her thoughts she said, “I hate to ask, but you are going to pay the repairs on my friend’s car yes? Because she doesn’t have insurance and I am barely able to pay for food so having to pay a whole car -” she made a face and Tommy rushed to assure her.

“Whoa. Don’t worry about it, I’ll buy her a new car.”

“Yikes, did you just-” she shook her head slightly, “You know what? That’s perfect, Caitlin would love a new car.”

Tommy wasn’t in the best place mentally or emotionally, he was still grieving for his brother. But having caused this recent disaster… He decided he had to stop. Stop doing whatever he was trying to do, keep on living on denial, hoping for the crazy. And he didn’t want to be this person. He didn’t. He wanted to do better. He needed to do better. Maybe he should let this go, but not yet. He couldn’t. If there was even the slightest chance that his best friend was alive, he was going to follow through on it. But whatever the outcome of his trip, it wasn’t going to stop him from living, it’s not what Ollie would want. 

Tommy finally put the flowers next to her bed, “when you get out of here, could I interest you in dinner… with me?”

"I-" Felicity rolled her eyes and smiled, "I'll think about it. In the meantime, why don't you tell me more about whatever it is that caused you to drive so terribly?"


End file.
